Rumour has it that Jim Starlin will be pursuing Marvel over the fact that Thanos (a character he claims to have created before he started working for them) was featured in Marvel's The Avengers without any of the the box office gross heading his way.

Digital Spy reports that Jim Starlin has come forward with what appears to be proof that he created Thanos before he started working for Marvel. This has resulted in speculation that he may be planning to launch a lawsuit against the publisher following the big screen debut of the villain in billion dollar box office hit, Marvel's The Avengers. He has released the following concept image of the villain which may be used as proof in a claim that he owns the rights to, or at least has an interest in, the Mad Titan.

However, it can't be denied that his decision to come forward after all these years in order to make such claims may be influenced by the fact that there's now be a lot of financial interest in the villain. After a brief appearance in The Avengers, Thanos has had re-emerged in the comics, and rumours run rampant that he will appear in the planned big screen adaptation of Guardians of the Galaxy. Marvel is reportedly finding it difficult track down the records from the period in which he was created, but Starlin took to his Facebook page a few months ago to say the following. "This is the second film that had something I created for Marvel in it - the Infinity Gauntlet in Thor being the other - and both films I had to pay for my own ticket to see them. Financial compensation to the creators of these characters doesn't appear to be part of the equation."

While he arguably makes a valid point, should Marvel compenstate every single creator who comes up with a new character or idea for them which later appears in a film? Mark Millar and Bryan Hitch (creators of The Ultimates) were thanked in the credits of The Avengers, but neither have asked to be paid simply because their creations influenced several aspects of the film (the Chitauri or Samuel L. Jackosn as Nick Fury for example). Sound off with your thoughts in the usual place.

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